Chemical interactions between polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and triethanol amine titanate were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The titanate chelate cross coupled the PVA solution and produced a viscous gel. The gel had a three dimensional cage structure containing -CPVA-O-Ti-O-CPVA-organic complexes. The water of the PVA solution was physically retained in the cage structure and was readily available for chemical reactions. The removal of this entrapped water was irreversible and lead to a collapsed film of Ti-cross linked PVA.